Acetylene-generator.



PATENTED 001:. 16, 1906.

E. R. ANGBLL. AGETYLBNE GBNERATOR.

ArrLmATlon FILED r113. 21. 1903.

THE NORRIS PETERS cc, Yummy-0N. 11:v

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented-Oct. 1c, 1906.

Application filed February 21, 1903. Serial No. 142,983.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND R. ANGELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Derry, in the county ofRookingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and ImprovedAcetylene-Generator, of which the following is a specification.

This acetylene-generator belongs to that class in which the carbid isfedautomatically in small portions at a ti volume of water The objects ofmy invention are, first, to construct a compact and ei'licient generatorfor intermittent or continuous operation, possessing great lightingcapacity in small space, automatic in its action, and equally adaptedfor lighting a cottage or a city; second, to provide a valve for feedingthe carbid into the water, easily operated even under a very largecharge of carbid, and reliable and positive in its action; third, toprovide a charge-chamber for introducing carbid into the apparatuswithout openin communication between the generator an external airfourth, to provide means for automatically or otherwise removing theresiduum and renewing the water in the generator, periodically orcontinuously and in such manner that the seal between the generator andatmosphere is never broken me into a large and air never admitted to thegenerator, fifth, to provide means for learning the approximate amountof carbid in the apparatus and when recharging is necessary; sixth, toprovide means for automatically removing the condensable vapors and forpurifying and cooling the gas. I accomplish these results by meansillustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is an elevation of thedevice, mostly in section.

A is a hollow cylinder and forms the outer casin of the apparatus. B isalso a hollow cylinder, smaller in diameter and shorter than A. They areplaced concentrically with their tops in the same planeand are attachedtogether by the circular ring Y in the base-plane of B, forming anannular space between them. This annular space contains water, withinwhich the gas-holder C floats.

E is a disk fastened to the casing-A on all sides a short distance belowthe circular ring Y and forms the bottom of the generating-chamber G.

L L are holes through the casing A between the bottom E and the circularring Y. One

of these holes connects with the vertical tube O, which is attached tothe side of the casing A. This tube serves as an overflow and isprovided with a" receding lip 6 to prevent the liquid from thegenerating-chamber G flow-- ing down the side of the apparatus. Thistubeis 'also provided with a draw-off valve attached to the spout D, butnotillustrated, placed sufliciently high to prevent the breaking of theseal between the generating-chamber G and the overflow-tube 0 when aportion of the contents of G are removed through it. This feature isespecially important because it prevents access of air when thegenerator is recharged with water. The second hole L connects with thevertical tube F, also attached to the casing A. This tube is somewhattaller than 0, is provided with a large lip L, and conveys the waterused in recharging into the generating chamber. Within this tube andextending its entire length the agitator-rod G, which works the agitatorE, is placed. At the top this rod is bent at right angles outwardly toform a handle by which it is turned back and forth in a short horizontalarc. At the bottom it is bent at right angles inwardly to form an armextending through the hole L and between the radial blades of theagitag, fastened in the bottom E of the generating-chamber.

S is the condensing, cooling, and purifying chamber. It is containedbetween the bottom of the generator and the lower wall F of theapparatus and is filled with scrap-iron. The gas from the generator isconducted into it through the pipe P and after traversing the chamberpasses to the service-pipe on the opposite side through the pipe S,which contains the stop-cock 2.

D is a pocket in the bottom of the purifying-chamber for receiving thecondensation.

B is the blow-off chamber. It is separated from the purifier S and theupper portion of the pocket D by the partition f, but communicates withD by the opening 01 at the bottom of the partition At the bottom of Band outwardly from d is the opening d, which connects the combination ofD and B with the overflow-lip D. This-lip is sufficiently high topreserve the water seal between it and the purifying-chamber under thenormal gas-pressure of the machine and at the same time to allow theescape of any excess of condensed moisture. If at any time thegas-pressure in the apparatus should become excessive, the smallquantity of water in D is depressed, causing an equal volume to overflowfrom the lip D until some of the gas passes under the partition f andescapes through the blow-off pipe B. When the pressure is relieved, aportion of the relatively large volume in B passes into D and risingabove the opening d reestablishes the seal between the blow-off andpocket D.

14 14 are guide-rods fixed to opposite sides of the gas-holder C, and 1515 are guides fastened to the top of the hollow cylinder A and providedwith fingers between which the rods 14 14 move vertically.

12 12 are stops attached to the guide-rods at such distance from thebottom of the gasholder as to preserve its seal unbroken when the stopscome in contact with the fingers of the guides and the increasedpressure is relieved by the blow-off.

H is the carbid chamber or hopper. It is shaped like the frustum of acone inverted and is supported by its broad end resting upon lugs 7 7,fixed upon the inside of the hollow cylinder B, near its top. Directlybelow the small end of the frustum or mouth of the hopper, separated bya small intervening space, a disk V is suspended, rigidly attached tothe central portion of a U-shaped strap a. One arm of this U-shapedstrap at its upper extremity is supported by a pivot b, fixed in theouter surface of the frustum, and the other is pivoted to the surface inlike manner at a point directly opposite.

a represents a circular strap with its nearer end attached to the top ofthe arm a of the U-shaped strap and at right angles to it. This circularstrap a passes around the frustum and is attached at its other extremityin like'manner to the farther arm of the U- shaped strap.

W is a weight fastened to the disk V by the oblique arm a. This weightholds the center of the disk in the axis of the frustum and is preventedfrom carrying it beyond by contact of the circular strap a with theexternal surface of the hopper.

The vertical rod R is rigidly attached to the circular strap a and isprovided at its top with a friction-wheel J. A partition m, extendingfrom the wall of the hopper up to its cover 19, prevents the carbid inthe hopper from falling through the broad hole through which the rod Rmoves freely. The arm n open, and thus clogging is prevented. When thegas-holder presses upon the wheel J to depress the rod R, motion is alsocommunicated to the bent lever a a, pivoted at b,

and the disk V is carried from the position it held to close the hopper,thus permitting and causing carbid to fall into the generator, both thedisk V and stirring-rod 9" moving simultaneously and the effect of bothbegin ning on the same side of the mouth of the hopper. When inconsequence of the liberation of sufiicient gas the gas-holder ceases topress upon the wheel J, the weight W reverses the movement of the diskV, closing the hopper, and at the same time draws the stirring-rod 1'upward.

19 is the cover of the hopper and is provided with the rim or flange 2O20 to shut within the hollow cylinder B. It has a broad opening 21 inthe center, through which the carbid falls into the hopper when it isrecharged, a hole n through which the stirring-rod 1" passes, and a holeis in its edge through which the rod R works. The object of this coveror diaphragm is to hinder the access of watery vapor to decompose thecarbid.

T is a short vertical tube attached to the hopper, extending below thedisk V and inclosing it. A slot t extends half across the tube in orderto receive the disk and the strap supporting it. The object of this tubeis to prevent the moisture condensed on the outside of the hopper fromrunning down upon the valve.

I is a lever pivoted at 4 to a support 13, attached to the hopper. Itsshort arm is bent downward for convenient connection with the rod I,which at 1 connects with the lever I, moving upon the pivot 2. Thislever I at 3 connects with the rod t, moving in the guide k and carryinga pointer 01 before the scale 01. The rod I carries the weight W. Thisweight holds up the long arm of the lever I so it does not become buriedwith carbid when the apparatus is recharged. It also holds the pointer'i at the top of the scale 11. To ascertain approximately how muchcarbid the hopper contains at any time, the rod & is depressed by thehand and the position of the pointer noted when the long arm of thelever I touches the carbid.

F is the charge-chamber. Its connections are represented larger thanproportional for the sake of showing them in detail.

N is a tall thimble or nipple fastened to the top of the charge-chamberby the shoulder 17. A fine screw-thread is out upon the lower part ofthe outsideof this nipple next to the shoulder, but its upper surface isturned smooth, removing the thread of the screw. A screw with coarsethread is out upon the inside of this nipple its entire length.

M is a bushing threaded to screw into the nipple N as a bolt screws intoa nut. This threaded bushing is provided with the shoulder a: to preventits screwing up into the nipple farther than necessary to draw theconical stopper T tightly into the hole Q in the bottom of the chamberF.

S is a stop to prevent the threaded bushing M being completely unscrewedfrom the nipple N.

The yoke y, rigidly attached to the bushing M, and the rod 25, similarlyfastened to the stopper T, but connected to each other by a swiveljoint, effect connection between bushing and stopper. This connection isproperly adjusted and any compression of the stopper compensated bymeans of the nut 8 upon the threaded bushing 9, movable vertically inthe hole 18 in the yoke y, but prevented from rotating therein by thepin 10 passing tangentially through the edge of the hole 18, one side ofthe bushing being ground flat to slide upon the pin. The bushing rotatesabout the rod t in the manner of a swivel, supporting this rod by thecollar t C is a deep cap. Its lower part is threaded internally to fitthe external thread of the nipple N, but the deeper portion of the capis turned smooth to fit the smooth portion of the nipple, upon which ittelescopes or slides like a sleeve. This construction both insures theengagement of the screw upon first contact and prevents gas escapingduring the short interval both the packing-ring P and the stopper T areunseated while the cap is being screwed on or off.

E is a blade rigidly attached to the top of the cap and inserted withinthe bushing M when the cap is applied. The edges of this bladepressjagainst the lugs Z Z, fastened to the inner surface of the bushingto turn it when the cap is screwed on or off, the lugs slidingvertically on the blade as the motion requires. When the cap is screwedoff, the stopper T closes the hole q, so that no gas can escape from thegas-holder when the cap is drawn from the nipple, or while the carbid isbeing introduced into the charge-chamber. While the cap is screwed downthe short distance necessary to seat the packing-ring upon the top ofthe nipple N, the coarse thread of the bushing'M causes the stopper T toopen the hole q sufficiently for the charge of carbid to fall freelyinto the hopper.

Having thus described the separate parts of my device in detail, so thatone skilled in the art could make them, it remains to describe the useand importance of their combination as a whole, so he could use them.After the proper pipe connections are made .with the blow-off B" and theservice-pipe S pass through the hopper directly into the generator; butas soon as the gas-holder rises from the wheel J, owing to the evolutionof gas, the disk V is brought under the mouth of the hopper by theweight W, and the carbid piling up on it prevents more from falling intothe generator until the disk is moved from its position. The reason whythe disk V is suspended a little below the mouth of the hopper is toprevent the carbid which rests upon it from becoming wedged between itand the edge of the hopper, thus interfering with its free movement. Inorder to remove the air which filled the body of the apparatus, astop-cock in the service-pipe is opened and the machine allowed tooperate until the evolution of gas expels the air. This stop-cock mayform a by-pass into the blow-off pipe, so as to prevent the gas fromentering the building. This operation is necessary only when the machineis first started. The indicator informs the operator when recharging isnecessary. Since the diminished gas-pressure which attends theconsumption of the last portion of gasfrom the holder is liable to causethe clogging of the burners from lack of-draft, it is important to learnfrom the indicator when recharging is necessary, so not only to preventthis annoyance, but to insure the continuation of the lights. Inrecharging the charge of carbid is first introduced by means of thecharge-chamber, which prevents admission of air and never allows com--munication to exist between the inside and outside of the generator.Then the sediment is thoroughly stirred by means of the agitator, thedraw-off D opened, and the residuum allowed to flow out. As the contentsflow out the gas-holder settles and feeds some carbid into thegenerator, so enough gas is liberated to occupy the space of the residuum removed. This feature of the apparatus is very important, for itobviates the necessity of admitting air to the generator for the removalof its contents. Finally, the proper quantity of water is introduced.The admission of air not only diminishes the value of the light, butcauses the presence of an explosive mixture within the machine everytime it is recharged, and so makes accidents possible.

Having thus fully described my invention,

LII

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In acetylene apparatus, mechanisms forfeeding carbid into water,consisting of a hopper, a disk suspended by a U-shaped strap pivoted toopposite sides of the hopper, and adjusted to swing a short distancebelow its mouth, a weight rigidly attached to said disk by an armextending obliquely upward, a lever rigidly attached at right angles tosaid U-shaped strap on the side opposite'to said weight, its outermostpoint carrying an upright post provided with a friction-wheel at itstop, in combination with a generator and floating gas-holder.

2. In acetylene apparatus, mechanism for feeding carbid into waterconsisting of a hopper, a disk suspended by a U-shaped strap pivoted toopposite sides of the hopper and adjusted to swing a short distancebelow its mouth, a weight rigidly attached to said disk by an armextending obliquely upward, a lever rigidly attached at right angles. tothe said U-shaped strap on the side opposite to said weight, itsoutermost point carryin an upright post provided with a friction-w heelat its top, an arm fixed rigidly at right angles to said post near itstop and having a rod loosely pivoted to its inner extremity, said rodextending downwardly within the hopper to its mouth, in combination witha generator and floating gas-holder.

3. A charge-chamber having two gates, one consisting of a hole providedwith a packing-ring and closed by a conical stopper; the otherconsisting of a nipple having a coarse screw-thread its entire lengthinside, a fine thread on its lower external surface, but its upperexternal surface turned smooth; a threaded bushing adapted to fit theinside of said nipple and provided with a yoke in the central lowerportion of which is an adjustable swivel with eared nut and rod wherebysaid conical stopper is attached to said threaded bushing, and a capadapted to screw on said nipple, having a broad blade extendingdownwardly from its top inside adapted to engage lugs within thethreaded bushing whereby motion is imparted to said threaded bushing bythe screwing on or off of said cap to open or close the gate providedwith said conical stopper, in combination with a generator, acarbid-hopper, carbidfeed mechanism and floating gas-holder.

EDMUND R. ANGELL.

Witnesses:

G. K. BARTLETT, O. E. BRYANT.

